Ball holding, latching and locking applications using radial and axial springs by incorporating electrical conductivity and electrical switchings

ABSTRACT

A latching and electrical switch mechanism includes an insulated housing having a cavity therein with an opening thereto along with an electrically conductive ball disposed therein. The ball includes a stem with a smaller diameter than the ball and extends therefrom with a ball being sized for rotational and translational movement within the housing cavity. At least one groove is provided in the housing cavity and a coil spring is disposed in a groove for making electrical contact with the ball and retaining the ball for rotation within the cavity with the stem at selected conical angles with respect to the housing centerline. At least one electrical contact is disposed in the cavity at a spaced apart relationship with the coil spring for providing electrical connection with the ball upon translational movement of the ball within the cavity, which also produces an audible sound.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No.11/869,929 filed Oct. 10, 2007 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S.Ser. No. 11/278,372, now abandoned, which claims priority from the U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/668,309 filed Apr. 5, 2005.These applications are to be incorporated herein in their entiretyincluding all specification and drawings.

The present invention generally relates to combining ball holding,latching, and locking applications using radial and axial springs andfurther combining a spherical end stem into a single electricalconductor that provides rotational, longitudinal, swivel, conical motionand switching with electrical conductivity.

Canted coil springs have been used extensively and latching applicationsprimarily in connectors that require longitudinal and rotating movement.The present application furthers the use of canted coil springs by theirutilization in a latching mechanism having a ball and socketarrangement.

Connectors used in holding applications have been described extensively,as for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,974,821, 5,139,276, 5,082,390,5,545,842, 5,411,348 to Balsells, and others. All of these patents areto be incorporated herewith by this specific references thereto.

Of these cited U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,821 generally describes canted coilsprings and a groove for orienting the spring for major axis radialloading for enabling a specific preselected characteristic in responseto loading of the spring.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,390 teaches a canted coil spring for holding andlocking a first and second number to one another.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,276 discloses a radially loaded spring in a groovefor controlling resilient characteristics of the spring.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,411,348 and 5,545,842 teach spring mechanisms whichpreferentially lock two members together.

Heretofore, U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,441 B2 teaches spherical as well aslongitudinal movement while conducting current in different positions.However, this is achieved by a 2-step component; one consisting oflongitudinal motion and the other one with spherical motion. In thepresent invention, both of these steps are combined with a singlecomponent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A latching mechanism in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention generally includes a housing having a cavity therein with anopening thereto. A ball, sized for insertion into a housing cavitythrough the opening, includes a stem having a smaller diameter than theball from which it extends. The ball sizing also enables production ofan audible source upon insertion of the ball into the cavity.

At least one groove in the housing cavity is provided proximate thecavity opening and a coil spring is disposed in the groove which retainsthe ball for rotation from the cavity with the stem at selected conicalangles with respect to a housing centerline.

In the groove may be circumferential and the coil spring is a continuousgarter type spring, or a plurality of arcuate grooves may be provided inthe housing cavity and arcuate coil spring segments are disposed in eachof the arcuate grooves.

A plurality of spaced apart circumferential grooves may be utilized inthe housing cavity with a continuous garter coil spring disposed in eachof the grooves which enables positioning the ball at different lateralpositions within the housing.

The groove and the spring may be configured for locking the ball withinthe housing cavity and still another embodiment of the present inventionthe cavity is spherical. In this embodiment, two grooves may be disposedin the housing cavity with coil springs therein with the grooves beingdisposed on opposite hemispheres of the ball.

In another embodiment, the ball may be electrically conductive and thecoil springs are disposed in the groove for making electrical contactwith the ball while enabling ball rotation within the cavity with thestem at selected conical angles with respect to a housing centerline.And at least one electrical contact is disposed in the cavity at aspaced apart relationship with the coil spring for providing electricalconnection with the ball upon translation movement of the ball withinthe cavity, the translational movement producing an audible sound.

A plurality of spaced apart circumferential grooves may be provided inthe housing cavity with corresponding coil springs disposed in each ofthe plurality of grooves and positioned for enabling sequentialelectrical connection with the ball in order to provide multipleparallel and serial electrical switching by translational movement ofthe ball within the cavity, the translational movement producing anaudible sound.

More particularly, two or three circumferential grooves may be disposedin the housing with corresponding coil springs disposed therein forenabling sequential electrical connection. Further, a circumferentialgroove may be provided for removably engaging each of the springs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages and features of the present invention will be betterunderstood with the following description when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a mechanism in accordance with the presentinvention, in partial cross section, generally showing a housing and acavity therein with an opening thereto along the ball inserted thereinhaving a stem extending therefrom along with a groove in the housingcavity proximate the cavity opening the coil spring disposed in thegroove for retaining the ball for rotation and conical movement withinthe cavity;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an embodiment of the presentinvention utilizing a different groove configuration and alsoillustrating the decoupling of the ball from the housing cavity;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the present invention illustratingone embodiment of the present invention in which arcuate grooves andarcuate coil spring segments are utilized;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the presentinvention illustrating the use of a continuous circumferential grooveand continuous garter type coil spring;

FIG. 5 illustrates yet another embodiment of the present inventionutilizing a plurality of springs and grooves;

FIG. 5A illustrates a specific groove and a coil spring configurationfor enabling of movement in a lateral direction within the housingcavity;

FIG. 6 illustrates the ball being positioned between the two of thegrooves and springs;

FIG. 7 illustrates yet another position of the ball within the cavity;

FIG. 7A illustrates a groove and spring configuration for locking theball within the cavity to prevent removal therefrom;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of yet another embodiment of thepresent invention utilizing two grooves and coil springs along with acavity having a spherical shaped portion;

FIGS. 9-21A are mechanical and electrical schematics showing a varietyof positions and applications that may be derived with a series ofcontact springs in a rotational, longitudinal and swivel as well asconical movement with contact springs of different designs and mountingmeans while achieving multiple positioning and switching functions.These circuits are able to switch one or more polarity of electricalenergy by mechanical contact movement. Both series and parallelconnections as well as different voltage can be switched using thesecircuits. The electrical energies switched can be AC, DC, high voltage,low voltage, high frequency, low frequency, analog and digital signals;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a latching mechanism 10 inaccordance with the present invention generally including a housing 12having a cavity 14 therein with an opening 16. A ball 22 having a stem24 extending therefrom is disposed within the cavity 14 with the ball 22being sized for insertion into the housing cavity 14 through the opening16 as illustrated. A radial canted coil spring 28 is disposed in av-groove 30 for retaining the ball 22 for rotation within the cavity 14with the stem at selected conical angles illustrated by the arrows 34,36 in FIG. 1. Suitable springs and grooves for providing specificpre-selected characteristics are described in the hereinabove referencedU.S. patents which are incorporated herewith by reference.

Briefly, the spring 28 is retained in the cavity 14 and a radial forceis applied along a minor axis 40 onto the coil spring 28. The spring 28is initially retained in the cavity by a spring OD larger than the ID ofthe cavity 14 thus creating a force that retains the spring within thecavity 14. The groove width (GW) is larger than the coil width (GW) ofthe spring (GW>CW). This type of design generates a ratio of connect todisconnect at approximately 1 to 1. The spring 28 also contributes tothe production of an audible sound when the ball 22 is inserted into thecavity 14 and forced into an abutting retention with the housing 12.Other configurations considered part of the present invention aredescribed in the hereinabove referenced U.S. patents.

The force required to insert and disconnect the ball 22 from the housing12 is affected by the contact angle with the greater the contact anglethe lower the force required to connect or disconnect. Such contactangle is determined by the groove configuration.

With reference to FIG. 2, alternative embodiment 46 includes a housing48 with cavity 50 with a ball 52 inserted thereinto with an extendingstem 54 utilizing a different groove 58 configuration which includes atapered bottom. The groove width at the bottom is smaller than thegroove coil width illustrating another method in which the spring 60 canbe retained in the groove 58 and cavity 50 with the forces to insert anddisconnect being variable requiring more force to connect and todisconnect and due to the geometry of the groove and spring assembly.Again, further detach of spring are groove configuration may be found inthe incorporated U.S. patents.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a coil spring 28 may comprise an arcsegment and correspondingly the groove 30 is also an arc segmentwhereas, as shown in FIG. 4, the coil spring 60 may be continuous withthe groove 58 also being circumferential and continuous within thecavity 50.

The materials of construction for the embodiment 10, 46, as well as 70,illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 and embodiment 72 shown in FIG. 8include housings 12, 48, 74, and 76 formed of a suitable rigid materialsuch as metal, or the like, with the same being true for the balls 22,52, and 80, 82.

With specific reference to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the housing 74 includes acavity 86 including three spaced apart grooves for supporting springs98, 100, 102, thus enabling the lateral positioning of the ball 80within the cavity 86, as illustrated progressively in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.Various spring and groove configurations may be utilized to control theconnect and disconnect forces. As illustrated by an arrow in FIG. 5 a,the groove 90 and spring configuration enables passage of the ball 80thereby along with the stem for disconnect, whereas the groove 94 andspring configuration 102 shown in FIG. 7 a lock the ball 80 to preventdisconnect from the housing cavity 86.

The embodiment 72 shown in FIG. 8 utilizes a cavity 110 having aspherical inside shape 114 and further includes two grooves 118, 120with springs 122, 124 therein to provide greater retaining force on theball 82 with the groove 118 and spring 122, then groove 120 and spring122 being disposed on opposite or opposing hemispheres 128, 130 of theball 82, disconnect being indicated by an arrow.

With reference to FIGS. 9-21A there is shown mechanical and electricalschematics corresponding to the structure shown in cross section inFIGS. 1-8. With reference to FIG. 9, there is shown a latching andelectrical switch mechanism 140 which includes an insulated housing 142including a cavity 144 with an opening 146 thereto. An electricallyconductive ball 150 includes a conductive stem 154 with a smallerdiameter than the ball 150 and extends therefrom through the opening146. As indicated by the arrows 156, 158 the ball is movable within thecavity 144 in both translational and rotational directions. Dashed lines162, 164 illustrate conical freedom of movement of the stem 154 whilethe ball 150 is disposed in the cavity 144.

The insulated housing 142 may be made from any suitable material and theball 150 with stem 154 may also be made from any suitable conductivematerial.

As hereinbefore discussed in connection with the mechanism 10, a groove168 in the cavity 144 supports a coil spring which in the mechanism 140is electrically conductive and provides for making electrical contactwith the ball 150 while retaining the ball 150 for rotation within thecavity 144 with the stem 154 at selected conical angles with respect tothe housing centerline 174. Electrical contact 178 is provided anddisposed in the cavity 144 and supported by the insulated housing 142 ina spaced apart relationship with the coil spring 170 for providingelectrical connection with the ball 150 upon translational movement ofthe ball 150 within the cavity 144 as indicated by the arrow 156,electrical contact being established in the position shown in FIG. 9.The electrical contact 178 can be in one or more segments, such asdepicted in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

This provides for a single circuit with one position with adjustment andmultiple directions of the ball 150.

An electrical schematic of this mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 9 awith the line 150 representing the conductive ball 150.

It should be appreciated that the mechanism 140 provides a combinationof a holding latching and locking device while at the same timeproviding electrical conductivity through the canted coil spring 170 andball 150 along with contact 178. Electrical continuity is maintaineddespite the rotation and swivel motion of the stem 154 provided by thestructure of the present invention. As hereinafter discussed in greaterdetail in connection with FIGS. 10-21A the present invention providesfor multiple spherical positioning with longitudinal rotational andswivel motion with multiple plurality in series in parallel connectionseither AC or DC with high or low voltage with high and low frequencywith both analog and digital signals. Switching between positions isboth continuous and smooth while providing various electrical signals.

In that regard, FIGS. 10 and 10A provides for a mechanism 188 in whichidentical or substantially similar elements are indicated by the samecharacter references as hereinabove described in connection with FIGS. 9and 9A. Also, in that regard, all of the FIGS. 10 through 21A includecommon reference characters for identical or substantially similarcomponents. Accordingly, these components will not be hereinafterdescribed to avoid duplication.

The mechanical circuit of FIG. 10 illustrates a single circuit with twopositions with adjustment in multiple directions. A housing 192 includestwo grooves 194, 196 with conductive springs 198, 200 disposed thereinrespectively. An electrical schematic of the mechanical arrangementshown in FIG. 10 is shown in FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11 shows another position of the ball 150 illustrating completionof the circuit between the springs 200 and contact 178 as electricallyschematically illustrated in FIG. 11A.

With reference to FIGS. 12-14A, there is shown a switch mechanism 210providing a single circuit with three positions with adjustment inmultiple directions utilizing a housing 212 with three grooves 214, 216,218 with corresponding springs 220, 222, 224 disposed therein.Electrical connection corresponding to the positions of the ball 150 areillustrated respectively in FIGS. 12A, 13A, and 14A.

FIGS. 15-17A illustrate switching mechanism 228 illustrate a parallelswitching mechanism 228 which includes a ball contact spring housingmounted dual circuit with three positions with adjustment in multipledirections.

This mechanism 228 includes a housing 230 including three grooves 232,234, 236 with corresponding springs 238, 240, 242 disposed therein.Corresponding electrical schematics are illustrated in FIGS. 15A, 16Aand 17A. There is an electrical connection established by conductivewire 243, which electrically connects spring 178 and 240.

With reference to FIGS. 18-20A there is shown a switching mechanismwhich provides for mechanical circuit ball in series. A ball contactspring housing 250 bounce a dual circuit with three positions withadjustment in multiple directions. Three grooves 252, 254, 256 withsprings 258, 260, 262 are provided. An audible sound is produced whenthe ball 150 is transitionally moved between positions due to engagementby different springs.

Yet another mechanism 270 is illustrated in FIG. 21. This mechanism 270is similar to the mechanism 140 illustrated in FIG. 9 with commonreference character representing identical or substantially similarcomponents. In this embodiment, a ball 272 includes a groove 276 forreceiving the spring 170 in order to further control the connect anddisconnect forces of the mechanism 270.

Although there has been hereinabove described a specific ball holding,latching, and locking applications using radial and axial springs byincorporating electrical conductivity and electrical switches inaccordance with the present invention for the purpose of illustratingthe manner in which the invention may be used to advantage, it should beappreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. That is, thepresent invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consistessentially of the recited elements. Further, the inventionillustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absenceof any element which is not specifically disclosed herein. Accordingly,any and all modifications, variations or equivalent arrangements whichmay occur to those skilled in the art, should be considered to be withinthe scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. A latching and electrical switch mechanism comprising: an insulatedhousing having a cavity therein with an opening thereto; an electricallyconductive ball having a stem of smaller diameter than the ball andextending therefrom, the ball being sized for rotational andtranslational movement within the housing cavity and producing anaudible sound upon insertion of the ball into the cavity: at least onegroove in the housing cavity; a coil spring, disposed in the groove, formaking electrical contact with the ball and retaining the ball forrotation within cavity with said stem at selected conical angles withrespect to a housing centerline; and at least one electrical contactdisposed in said cavity at a spaced apart relationship with said coilspring, for providing electrical connection with the ball upontranslational movement of the ball within said cavity.
 2. The mechanismaccording to claim 1 wherein said groove is circumferential and saidcoil spring is a continuous garter type spring.
 3. The mechanismaccording to claim 1 wherein a plurality of arcuate grooves are disposedin the housing cavity and an arcuate coil spring segment is disposed ineach of the arcuate grooves.
 4. The mechanism according to claim 1further comprising a plurality of spaced apart circumferential groovesin the housing cavity and a corresponding coil spring disposed in eachof the plurality of the grooves and positioned for enabling sequentialelectrical connection with the ball in order to provide multipleparallel and serial electrical switching by translational movement ofthe ball within said cavity.
 5. The mechanism according to claim 1further comprising two spaced apart circumferential grooves in thehousing cavity and a corresponding coil spring disposed in each of thegrooves and positioned for enabling sequential electrical connectionwith the ball in order to provide multiple parallel and serialelectrical switching by translational movement of the ball within saidcavity, each transitional movement producing an audible sound.
 6. Themechanism according to claim 1 further comprising three spaced apartcircumferential grooves in the housing cavity and a corresponding coilspring disposed in each of the grooves and positioned for enablingsequential electrical connection with the ball in order to providemultiple parallel and serial electrical switching by translationalmovement of the ball within said cavity, each transitional movementproducing an audible sound.
 7. A latching and electrical switchmechanism comprising; an insulated housing having a cavity therein withan opening thereto; an electrically conductive ball having a stem ofsmaller diameter than the ball and extending therefrom, the ball beingsized for insertion into the housing cavity and disconnection from thehousing cavity through said opening and providing an audible sound uponinsertion of the ball into the cavity; at least one groove in thehousing cavity proximate the cavity opening; a coil spring, disposed inthe groove for making electrical contact with the ball and enabling ballrotation within said cavity with said stem at selected conical angleswith respect to a housing centerline, said coil spring having a contactangle with the ball determined by a groove configuration in order tocontrol ball insertion and ball disconnect forces; and at least oneelectrical contact disposed in said cavity at a spaced apartrelationship with said coil spring, for providing electrical connectionwith the ball upon translational movement of the ball with said cavity.8. The mechanism according to claim 7 wherein said groove iscircumferential and said coil spring is a continuous spring.
 9. Themechanism according to claim 7 wherein a plurality of arcuate groovesare disposed in the housing cavity and an arcuate coil spring segment isdisposed in each of the arcuate grooves.
 10. The mechanism according toclaim 7 further comprising a plurality of spaced apart circumferentialgrooves in the housing cavity and a corresponding coil spring disposedin each of the plurality of the grooves and positioned for enablingsequential electrical connection with the ball in order to providemultiple parallel and serial electrical switching by translationalmovement of the ball within said cavity.
 11. The mechanism according toclaim 7 further comprising two spaced apart circumferential grooves inthe housing cavity and a corresponding coil spring disposed in each ofthe grooves and positioned for enabling sequential electrical connectionwith the ball in order to provide multiple parallel and serialelectrical switching by translational movement of the ball within saidcavity, each transitional movement producing an audible sound.
 12. Themechanism according to claim 7 further comprising three spaced apartcircumferential grooves in the housing cavity and a corresponding coilspring disposed in each of the grooves and positioned for enablingsequential electrical connection with the ball in order to providemultiple parallel and serial electrical switching by translationalmovement of the ball within said cavity, each transitional movementproducing an audible sound.